The present invention relates to fasteners and more particularly relates to a fastener for attaching to a barrier.
Motor control sections are designed with horizontal and vertical bus bar assemblies. The bus carries electrical current to plug-in units that operate motors in factories. The bus bar is energized during operation, requiring isolation of electrical current to prevent inadvertent contact. This may be accomplished by using two bus barriers. The barriers usually have internal grooves to hold each bus in position and keep them spaced properly to prevent short-circuiting.
Connections between adjacent vertical barriers of the prior art have previously typically been assembled vertically and required two assemblers to install nut and bolt type hardware. This method subsequently increases the labor cost of the assembly. Occasionally, inserts have been molded into an insulation barrier. Sometimes fasteners, such as PEM(copyright) brand self-clinching fasteners by Penn Engineering and Manufacturing Corp., have been employed. Unfortunately, both of these additions have resulted in significantly increasing the part cost of the assembly. In yet another attempt to secure two vertical barriers, a fixture, not forming part of the assembly, has been employed to secure a nut to one barrier using self taping screws. Again, this method imparts substantial part cost and labor cost to the final assembly.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a fastener, for securing to a vertical barrier and allowing an adjacent barrier to be secured thereto, includes a main body portion having a first end and a second end, a first leg depending from the first end of the main body portion, and a second leg depending from the second end of the main body portion. The first leg and the second leg each having a mating end adjacent the main body portion and an unattached free end. The fastener further includes a first barb on the first leg and a second barb on the second leg. The first barb and the the second barb are each formed as a cutout portion having an attached end adjacent the free end of each respective leg and angled outwardly from each respective leg.